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The Hunger Games: Will you let your kids see it?
The Hunger Games is out this weekend, and the only other media property getting as much buzz is the premiere of the long-awaited Mad Men (see the GreatDad review of the Hunger Games).
While every 11-year old has read this book, along with many way-over 11 year olds, the graphic violence in the book is disturbing to protective dads like yours truly. The book, after all, is the story of a fight to the death put on annually by the leaders of a dystopian society. The players in the “game” are all just kids and do succeed in killing each others with arrows, spears, and old fashioned sticks and stones.
It’s one thing to read a book like Lord of the Flies, and another all-together to see Piggy wandering half-blind as he stalked by his classmates. That’s my memory from my adolescent viewing of the movie of that title, the images of which haunt me if I think about them. And that’s what I’m worried about for my just-turned 12 daughter.
The Hunger Games is getting a “Pause 13″ rating from Commonsense Media for quite brutal scenes of violence: children being speared to death or having their heads smashed in. As this article mentions, it’s one thing to read about these things and another to see them happen on screen. From what I can tell, this sounds a lot more violent than Harry Potter and I’m tempted to say that my daughter shouldn’t see it at her age.
In canvassing other families, however, I get different reactions. Some applaud how involved and protective I am of my children. Some barely hold back a snigger for my prudish and unrealistic parenting in the face of modern media. Still others refuse to take a stand, believing that their kids can just what is and isn’t too much for them.
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Review: “A Walk In My Shoes” new family movie
Due to a late release of the preview, I didn’t get a chance to review before the showing, but did want to mention again that this is the third in a joint venture between P&G and Walmart to make Friday night family TV night. They are trying to create real movies that are good for both adults and kids to watch together, which focus on positive values for kids to experience in an engaging film.
We were less excited about the second film in this experiment, The Jensen Project, which appealed to our little kids, but which just didn’t have the production values of a real movie. I enjoyed “A Walk in My Shoes” more. The subject matter, while incorporating some fantasy, was more adult than in “Jensen,” which was more of a high technology spy film made for kids. I also found the acting to be more subtle and easier to watch, largely due to Nancy Travis, who plays the lead role.
“A Walk in My Shoes” tells the story of a teacher magically put into the shoes of another person, the mother of one of her students. She gets to experience firsthand the other woman’s life and viewpoint and ends up judging her less harshly than she did in real life. While this plot device is a little contrived, and a shopworn in 2010, I found it oddly compelling, perhaps because I liked the main characters. Not all dads might agree, and it might be hard to find a family that would all watch this movie together, but it wasn’t an improved attempt by the P&G team and bodes well for their next film “A Change of Plans” which is due out in early 2011.
I want to support this project because there is such a huge delta between soporific kids shows that dads really don’t want to watch, and all the PG-rated shows that aren’t appropriate for kids under 13. I’m hoping P&G continues to get better as they develop more experience in this arena. So far, they are making good progress.
“A Walk in My Shoes” is available on DVD and we have one copy of the DVD plus Soundtrack available for readers who answer the following question in the comments section below: What is your favorite movie the whole family can watch and enjoy without being exposed to material that is inappropriate for some ages?
A Walk in My Shoes plot synopsis
“A Walk in My Shoes” makes viewers stop and think, “What would I learn if I stepped into someone else’s life?” Stressed-out high school teacher Trish Fahey (Nancy Travis, “Three Men and a Baby,” “Becker”) can’t understand her students’ lack of effort in the classroom and why their parents don’t seem to care. This is especially true of Justin Kremer (Cameron Deane Stewart), a popular, skateboard-loving, basketball star who is underperforming in her class. Trish has him suspended from the basketball team and quickly chalks up the situation as a case of bad parenting.
But this perspective dramatically changes when Trish meets Molly (Yara Martinez, My Own Worst Enemy), a mysterious stranger intent on helping her see things differently. When Trish wrecks her car, Molly is there as Trish wakes to find herself living the life of Cindy Kremer, the woman she has personally judged and criticized. Trish discovers that there is often more to the story and learns a powerful lesson that affects everyone she interacts with. Her husband, her daughter, the Marine next door… No one is left unchanged.
Note to readers: P&G invited me to the set of the feature film “A Change of Plans” due out in early 2011.. While they paid for transportation and lodging, no payment was made for this review, and my opinions are my own and not those of P&G or Walmart.
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Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel out on DVD
Rating: PG
Genre: Family and Kids
Release Date: December 23, 2009 and out on DVD 3/30/10
Running Time: 88 minutes
Child-friendly?
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is the second animated film featuring talking and singing chipmunk brothers Alvin, Simon and Theodore. The movie contains a good deal of verbal and slapstick humor but is relatively tame. Besides some flirting, suggestive dance moves by the new female chipmunk group and a few crude jokes, the movie is relatively kid-friendly. It is recommended for kids aged 5 and older.
In Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Alvin, Simon and Theodore find themselves being cared for by a twenty-something nephew of their friend, Dave. The boys have to go to school for the first time and are tasked with saving the school’s music program by winning the $25,000 prize in a battle of the bands. But the Chipmunks unexpectedly meet their match in three singing chipmunks known as The Chipettes – Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette.
By going to school, the boys discover girls, are faced with bullies and deal with peer pressure. Alvin joins the school’s football team and has to choose between the game and the big talent show and his brothers when a game lands on the same day as the big battle of the bands competition with the Chipettes.
Directed by Betty Thomas, the film features Jason Lee, Zachary Levi and David Cross as well as the voices of Justin Long, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate.
The humor is harmless for the most part and there are some positive messages that come out of this admittedly silly movie. It focuses on family, togetherness and acceptance and deals positively with school and peer pressure.
GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.
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Angels and Demons Movie Review
My kids, at five and nine, certainly aren’t going to be munching popcorn and tossing back Raisinets while watching this film any time soon. Parents might be tempted to bring kids used to a certain amount of violence on TV and video games to a movie like this. However, Angels and Demons is a movie for older kids, 16 and up.
Reviews have been mixed on this movie and we’d have to agree that it’s only so-so, especially in relationship to the earlier Da Vinci Code, which successfully brought the blockbuster book to life. In Angels and Demons, Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) goes deep into the world of the Illuminati, an underground organization that threatens the Catholic church. Once again, Langdon goes on a ticking-time-bomb journey as he follows ancient clues through the hidden sites of Rome. He is joined by a love interest, the beautiful Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) though there are no sexual overtones to this relationship.
Dads who haven’t read the book might enjoy this film more than its predecessor, especially since there has been far less hype for Angels and Demons. Even the Catholic Church has had little to say about the movie, underlining its weaker story line and premise. This movie is a lot more fluff and adventure than it is heretical or destabilizing to the dogma of the Church.
At the same time, dads should be aware of a significant amount of violence, including some gruesome deaths. This is the kind of film that would give kids, and some adults, nightmares after a viewing. At the same time, sexual themes are not an issue at all, nor is there very much profanity.
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Ghost Town out on DVD 12/28/08
Ghost Town is a very funny movie. If you like Ricky Gervais’ brand of dry, self-deprecating humor (he was the original Michael Scott in the British version of “The Office”), you’re bound to enjoy his character. This is the the story of a socially awkward dentist who has a near-death experience that allows him to act as a bridge between the living and the dead. Just the fact that he can see many people around us who are actually dead creates a lot of confusion and funny situations, as does the fact that they are dressed (or undressed) as they were at the time of their death. Also starring Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni, Ghost Town has an upbeat hopeful story line, despite the deathly subject matter.
While there isn’t any real sex or violence in this film, one of the main characters is open about his infidelity, there are some direct sexual references, as well as some infrequent profanity (f**k and s**t) , making this movie inappropriate for kids younger than twelve.
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